Washing machine



H. S. CRAVER.

WASHMG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED MAR. 21 192!- 5 SHEETS-SEEN I.

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WASHING MACHINE- APPLICATION man MAR. 21, 192.1.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922- 5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

@m gx H. S. CRAVER.

WASHING MACHINE.

urucmon FILED mm. 21. 1921.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHET 4.

III

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WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 21, 1921.

1 ,4 1 2,924, Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5-- -7 Jaye/W flaw/m 5. 0391/5? UNITED STA'lES HOWARD S.

Pi-AT-ENT QFFICE.

SHAVER, 01 CIIICAGQ, ILLINOIS, ASSi-ZGNOR O15 ONE HALl" TO HENRY S.

JUDD, OF GIEIECAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING MACHINE.

ire-12 92 Application filed March 21, 1921.

To (tutt /1.0771 it may concern:

Be it known that l, l JWARD :3. (leaves, a citizen of the United States,residing at (.lhicaeo. in the county at (ooh and. State of Illinois,have invcmed a certain .ncwend useful improvement in il ashing hiaehues. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to washing machines, especially that type in whichthere are plungers which have a vertical reciprocatory movement and alsoan. intermittent rotary or angular movement. The invention isparticularly adapted to the type oi machine in which the plungers areoperated from a shaft passing up through the bottom of the clothesreceptacle. in a machine hus operated from underneath, and with theintermittent rotary movement always occurring in the same direction, theclothes are apt to become wrapped around the center post and becometorn. in my prior Patent No. L361.- 228 granted to me December 7. 1920,I have shown a machine which avoids this diiiiculty. but the rotar -Jmovement does not always occur at the same end of the stroke. In myprior machine when the plungers are rotating; in one direction therotary move. ment occurs when the plungers are up, out oi? the water isproper for that type of .rmrchino. but when the plungers are rotat ingin the other directisnii. the rotary move ment occurs when the plungersare down in the water, or near the lower end of the vertical movement.In the latter case. when the rotary moven'ient occurs, the plungers arein engagement with the clothes and. it becomes necessary to overcome theresist ance offered by both the clothes and the water. The object of mypresent invention is to produce a machine which has the ad vantage ofnot only reversing the direction of rotation {)OTiOdiCflllY, hut also ofhaving the rotary movement always occur near the same end oi the stroke;and in the vacuum plunger type. when the plungers are up ahove the su.lace of the water. While my present invention is intended. primarily fora machine of the vacuum plunger type shown inmy aforesaid patent, it isalso applicahle to a machine of the dollie type in which the washingelement descends periodically into the water and engages the clothes foragitating and washing them. By taking advantage of the underlyingprinciples of my invention, it becomes possible Specifics lion ofLetters Pa tent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Serial No. 454,020.

to have the intermittent rotary movement of the dollie always occur whenthe dollie is down in engagement with the clothes.

l. oh't my object by the mechanism illnstraiec in the accompanyingdrawings in which- K Figure .1. is a side elevation of a machine of thevacuum plunger type showing the (not-hes receptacle in vertical section.7

l euro 2 is a top plan view of the ratchet mechanism which produces theintermittent rotary movement oi the type oi machine sl'iown in Figure'l.

li igure 3 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4: a view looking towards the left in Fig. 3. V

l igi ure 5 is a vertical section on the line of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-- l of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical section of a machine on'iployiug the dollie typeof washing ole-- ment. in this case the intermittent rotary movem ntalways occurs when the dollie is near the lower end of its strokeinstead of at the upper end of the stroke as in the Form shown in Figure1..

Figure 3 is a top plan view oi the ratchet mechanism which produces heintermittent rotary movement oi the type of machine shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 8.

Lilrenunierals denote like parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to the form shown in Figures l. to 6 inclusive. theclothes receptacle 1 is mounted upon av frame 2 of any suitableconstruction. Passing up through the bottom oi the receptacle is ahollow post 3 which forms a guide for the vertically reciproca ing andintermittently rotating shaft l. This may he referred to as the poundershalt. l asteued to the top of the shaft a yoke provided at its endswith vertically arranged rods 6 which lit slidingly within sleeves 7provided at their lower end with plungers 8. By preference theconnection hctween rods 6 and sleeve 7 is resilient to permit slightupward yielding of the plungers in. case they meet unusual resistancefrom the clothes. Thus far the construction is known.

Referring now to the mechanism which produces the reciprocatory movementot the main shaft l in a vertical ilirection:

A lever 10 mounted upon a stationary pivot 12 in the framework 2 asshown in the lower left portion oi Figure 1. Suitable means are providedfor imparting; to this lever a constant swinging movement back and forthin a vertical plane. The means illustrated comprises a link 14.connected to a crank 16 on a gear wheel 17 connected .with a pinion 18fastened to a sheave 1.9 driven by a belt 20 from a motor 22.

At its free end lever 10 is connected by a link to a pin 26 carried atthe lower end ot a yoke 28 swiveled to the lower end 01!? shaft 4; asshown in detail in F i n ures i and 6. The yoke has a sleeve portion 29which encircles the lower end of the shaft above integral collar 30formed at the lmver end of the shaft. The construction is such that thevertical movement of lever 11.0 causes a corresponding vertical movementof the main shaft 4:, but said shaft is rotatable independently of thelever and interconnecting parts. i

I Referring now to the mechanism which produces the intermittent rotarymovement ot the main shaft and plunger first in one direction and then,after a series o't move ments, in tl e opposite direction:

an arm 36 is rigidly fastened to lever 10 near the free end thereof. Theouter end of. this arm is connected by a pivot pin 37 to a slotted link38. A slot 40 is formed in link 38 at the end opposite to pivot 37.Passing through this slot is a pin 41. best shown in Figures 3 and Pin41 is 'l'astoned to a pawl carrier 42 which oscillates about a verticalstud 4114:. Pin 4iv its loosely in slot 40 and hence it is evident thatlink 38 will have a certain amount oil lost motion relatively to thepin. The amount of this lost motion is regulated by a block 46 bestshown in Figures 2 and This block is slidable in slot 4-0 and itsposition lengthwise ol' the link is regijilated by an adjusting screwwhich is swiveled to the block and works in an internally threaded crossarm 43 termed in the link. The screw is provided with a knurled head 50by which it may be rotated to thus control the position of the l'ilockin the link. hen the link moves forward (towards the let't Figs. 2 and3) the block engages the depending portion ot the pawl. carrier 42 andadvances it angularly about the stud 44 as an axis. The return movementof the pawl carrier is effected normally by the tension spring 52 whichis anchored to the stud 54L, although the return of the pawl. carrier isassured by reason of the closed outer end of link 38 which is adapted toengage the pin alas the link moves towards the right, Figures 2and 3. Astop pin 55'mounted in the plate 63, hereinaiter mentioned, limits thedistance which the pawl carrier may move under the influence o't spring52 here inal'ter referred to.

Paw] carrier 42 has a horizontal socket 56 formed in. it as best shownin Figures 2, 4; and 5. A pawl 57 [its slidingly in this socket and isbacked. up by a compression spring 58. This pawl is prevented fromrotating by means of a pin (50 which overrides a flattened portion (31.ot the pawl. The pawl en; 'es the teeth ot a gear wheel 62 which resupon a noinrotary plate 63 and is rotatable about stud 414: as an axis.According" to the design shown the pawl drives the gear wheel always ina c] ckwisc direction when viewed vtrom the top as in Figure 2. When thepawl moves toward. the right. Figure 2, it clicks over the gear wheeland. imparts no motion to it. For identification wheel 62 may be termedthe master gear wheel to distinguish it from the pinion 6d andintermediate gear wheel 66. which also bear upon plate 63. Pinion 64: ispinned to the main shaft t for rotating it. The intermediate gear 66meshes with the pinion at all times, and rotates about the stud 54- asan axis.

The gear wheels 62. 64: and 66 are mutilated in such manner that whilethe master gear always rotates in the same directioin the pinion willrotate part ot the time in one direction and part oi? the time in theopposite direction. This accomplished by forming; each of the gearwheels in two sections, an upper and a lower. The lower section ot gears62 and 66 are toothed t-hroiiigrl'iout their entire circumferences sothat they are always in mesh with each other and, will rotate equalai'noui'its in opposite directions. The lower section of the pinion istoothless while the upper section is toothed throughout itscircumference. The upper section of the master gear 62 is toothlessthroughout something; more than one-halt o'l its circuintorcnce andtoothed tliroughout the remaining portion. and the same is true of theintermediate gear 66. the result being that they engage the pinionaltcri'iately and rotate it first in one direction and tl'ien in theother.

Gear 66 is prevented from rotatingbackwark (clockwise. Figure 2) by abackstop pawl 70. tlaid pawl is pivoted upon. a pin 7']. fastened toplate 6?; and is urged toward the if n: by a spring; 72. it is desirablein order to prevmit accidental rotation of pinion 64: to provide adouble click pin 74- which is slidingrly mounted within a block 76 andpressed towards the pinion by a spring: 77 as best shown at the upperportion of Figure 2.

y In operation. as the lever 10 oscillates up and down under the actionof the link 14 and other parts of the driving mechanism it causes linkto move the main shaft or ponnder shatt 4; up and down. in the wellknown manner. The swine oil'i the lever and arm 36 causes the pin 37 totrarel back and forth along an arc centered at the pin 12 and thehorizontal component or rise oi; this are produces a horizontal as wellas a vertical movement of the pin and a corresponding reciprocalorymovement ot the link 38 approximately in the direction oii its length.This movement ot the link produces an oscillatorv movement of the pawlcarrier 4:2 about the stud 4:4; as an aria. thus impartin to the near 62an intermittent rotary movement in a clockwise direction when viewed"from above in Figure 52. The parts are so constructed, and arranged.that the block 46 does not engage the pawl carrier 42 until near the endof the upstroke of? the verticallv reciprocating parts and the result isthat the rotary movement of the plungers does not occur until they arenearing the upper end 01? their travel, at which time they are above theordinary water level in the clothes receptacle. The consequence is thattheir rotary movement occurs always when there is nothing to obstruct orretard their rotary movement, and never when they are down in.engagement with the clothes. or even in the water. The throw of the pawlc. 3101' 2 mav be increased by adjusting the block 46 closer towards itand decreased by adjusting the block further away from it. (7i? course.the greater the throw of the pawl carrier the greater will be the amountof angular movement of the plungers each time the pawl moves forward. Itthe block is moved closer toward the pawl carrier and the angularmovement thus increased. the angular movement will commence earlier inthe 'u 'istroke and this might be carried to a point where the angularmovement starts before the plungers actually leave the water. but thiswill ordinarily not be the case.

New referring to the type shown Figures 7 to 9 inclusive. Jundamentallythe only difference is that instead oi vacuum plungers 8. a so'calleddollie S0 is employed at the top o f the pounder shaft 4;, said dolliehaving proi'igs or lingers 82 adapted to plunge down into the clothes,intermittently. and impart to them a shortangnlar or rotary movement foragitating them and thus producing a washing action. This makes itdesirable it not necessary to have the rotary movement always occur atthe lower end of the stroke. and as a result of my invention it becomespossible to effect it. This action is accomplished basically by facingthe pawl 57 in the opposite direction from the one shown in Figure .2.the purpose being to advance the gear 62 at a time when the pawl carrier42 is moving toward the right, as viewed in the .the pawl carrierdrawings. In this case the pawl carrier attached to the spring 52 bymeans (it :1. lug

84- which is on the opposite side ol stud 4 1:

from the pawl. A. stationary pin 86 mounted on plate or: limits themovement (:5 the pawl carrier under the influence oli spring I332. Tothis case also. the adjusting means on the slotted link is placed on theopposite side o'l" the depending" portion. oi? A as will. now beexplained. Link 38 which is analogous to link 38. is provided with asliding block 90 in addition to the block l6 n'evionsly described. Block90 is on the opposite side of arm 42 and is controlled by an adjustingscrew 952 whiiiih is swiveled to the block and works in the internallythreaded outer end 94. of: the link. The screw is provided with aknurled head 95 for rotating it and thus controlling the position ot theblock in the link.

In operation. the action of the mechanism is the same as before exceptthat the block 4:6 will usually not be called on to operate and will bebacked oft out of the way of pawl carrier 4L2. Said pawl carrier,however. will be acted upon by the block 90 as the latter moves towardthe right, and the decree of lost motion will depend upon. the amount ofmotion of the block toward the lett after the pawl carrier has beenarrested in its leftward movement by the stop pn 86. As the movement ofthe pawl car- 1 to the right will always occur when the pounder shaft lis near the bottom of its stroke. it follows that the rotary movement ofthe dollic will also occur always near the bottom oi the stroke and thusimpart a downward and a rotary movement to the clothes. The shaftperiodically reverses so that be intermittentrotary movements occurfirst in one direction and then in the other. By preference a pluralityof such movements occur in one direction before the reversal takesplace. and the present design operates in this manner. 7

It will thus be seen that in both action is the same except that in allof the rotary movements occur top of the stroke and in the other alloccur near the bottom.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a washing: machine in which the washing element has anintermittent rotary movement and a vertical stroke. means torperiodically reversing the direction of rotation after a plurality ofrotary movements have occurred in the same direction, said means beingoperative always near the same end ot the stroke, and nonoperativeelsewhere.

2. In a gearing: for washing machines, a support, a vertical shaft,means for impartcases the one case near the case they ingto said shaft avertical reciprocatory movement, means operative near one end only ofthe travel of said shaft for imparting an intermittent rotary movementto it in one direction, and means operative near the same end of thetravel of said. shaft for periodically reversing it after the occurrenceofa plurality of angular movements in the original direction.

3. A washing machine having a reciprocatory shaft, means for imparting aplurality of intermittent angular movements to the shaft in onedirection, means for periodically reversing the action of said means,and mechanism for confining the action of the first mentioned means to aregion near a given end of the reciprocatory movement of said shaft.

4. A washing machine having a vertical pounder shaft, means forreciprocating it vertically, means for imparting a plurality ofintermittent angular movements to said shaft first in one direction andthen in the opposite direction, and means for confining all angularmovements to a zone located near the upper end of the vertical movementof said shaft.

5. In a gearing for washing machines, a support, a vertical shaftmounted in said support, means for reciprocating the shaft vertically,and ratchet mechanism for imparting a series of angular movements to theshaft in one direction and then a series in the opposite direction, saidratchet mechanism including a vibrating element, operating in unisonwith the reciprocatory movement of the shaft, a ratchet actuated by thethrow of said vibrating element, and mutilated gears one of which isactuated by said ratchet, always in the same direction, and another ofwhich is fastened to the shaft for rotating it. 7 .6. In a washingmachine, a main shaft arranged vertically, a power device, meansconnected to said power device for reciprocating the shaft vertically,mutilated gearing geared to said shaft for rotating it indirection, oneof the wheels of said gearing constituting a master gear, a ratchetadapted to intermittently rotate said master gear always in the samedirection, and means connected to said power device for reciprocatingsaid ratchet.

7. A washing machine having a vertical main shaft, a power device, meansconnected to said power device for reciprocating the shaft vertically,mutilated gearing geared to said shaft for rotating it intermittentlyfirst in one direction for a series of movements and then in theopposite direction, one of the wheels of said gearing constitut- .ing amaster gear, a ratchet adapted to intermittently rotate said master gearalways in the same direction, an oscillatable ratchet carrier, and alost motion device actugted by. the power device for oscillating saidratchet carrier.

8. lilechanism of the class described having a vertical shaft, a powerdevice, means connected to said power device for reciprocating the shaftvertically, mutilated gearing geared to said shaft for rotatingitintermittently first in one direction for a series of. movements andthen in the QPP Site direction, one of the wheels of said gearingconstituting a master gear, a ratchet adapted to intermittently rotatesaid master gear always in the same direction, a ratchet carrier adaptedto move forward and backward for actuating the ratchet, a link operatedby the power device and adapted to reciprocate approximatelylongitudinally for actuating the ratchet carrier, there being lostmotion between the link and the ratchet carrier, and an adjustableelement on said link adapted to engage the ratchet carrier earlier orlater in the travel of the link for thereby regulating the amount oflost mo tion between the link and the ratchet carrier.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto suloscribed my name.

HOWARD S. CRAVER.

